About LRA

A voice for Loughton
LRA was formed because residents felt that the local government process did not consult with the people living in Loughton. LRA pioneered the demand for openness in local government and strove to get hold of the information necessary to make decisions. To do this, we decided to field local councillors on all tiers of government.

Who we are and the Executive Committee

Why we have Cllrs
The simple answer is “to try to look after Loughton”. A lot of Council work goes on behind the scenes, and our Cllrs can have an effect from the early stages of proposed changes onwards; they also work hard on problems raised by individual residents (as those of you who get our regular email news bulletins will know). LRA Cllrs are able to access information about local issues and act as a voice for Loughton in the council chamber. See LRA’s aims and objectives.

We have a majority of seats on the Town Council, which quietly gets on with a range of services in the town, from children’s playgrounds to the hanging baskets on the lamp-posts to advising on planning & licensing applications.

We are the second largest group on the District Council, which decides on planning & licensing applications and looks after council housing, refuse collection, street-cleaning, community safety, and much more.

We also hold a seat on the County Council.

LRA's focus as a local residents association
Members sometimes ask us what LRA's position is on matters of national importance, however our response in most cases is "we don't have one".

That may be frustrating for some to hear. However, LRA from the start in 1981 has to tried to focus on the interests of the town and community of Loughton, and work hard on problems raised by individual residents including, for example, planning and garden waste charging.

We are not “the Opposition” to the Conservative party at the District Council. We are independent and non-political and if the majority grouping are getting things right, we are very happy to support them. Equally, we will fight long and hard to challenge proposals with which we disagree.

LRA Cllrs (and members) are spread across the political spectrum and they may hold individual views on matters of national importance. However, LRA doesn’t mandate its councillors to vote one way or the other as LRA Cllrs have a tradition of voting according to their consciences and what they consider to be in the best interests of Loughton only.

We want to unite the community rather than divide it.

Making a difference - can you help us?
Have you thought of standing as an LRA Cllr on the Town or District Councils? Inevitably, some of our Cllrs move on elsewhere, or want to stand down for health or age reasons.

So if you care about your town, then please think about joining our teams on the Town Council or District Council next May. To find out more, without commitment, just ring LRA Cllr Chris Pond on 020 8508 2361 or email contact@loughtonresidents.co.uk

Training is provided and you would be part of a strong and experienced group.

Consulting residents
You can contact us at contact@LoughtonResidents.co.uk, or get in touch with one of your local Cllrs (we publish the names and contact details of our councillors and other committee members on this website and in our newsletter, Loughton Life.

When planning and licensing applications are made to the District Council, those applications affecting Loughton are reviewed by LRA's Plans Group (LRAPG). LRAPG is a group of your LRA volunteers.

LRAPG acts separately from LRA Cllrs in relation to planning and licensing proposals because LRA Cllrs have to take planning and licensing decisions solely on the basis of the evidence presented at planning committee meetings. However, when a contentious proposal becomes a formal application to the District Council, your councillors will ask searching questions and, where appropriate, the LRAPG will ask residents for their views. More